There is a bias against kids that move in and coaches that have transfer players. I know several coaches that will not vote for either.

You are correct.

The 6'6 Matt Day was Buckhorn. Without him they would have been a very ordinary team. They defeated both Perry Central (in the 1st round of the district) and Knott Central (during the last part of the season). I would have voted him the 14th region's best if I had been voting. He saw double and triple team defense all year. He is one of the state's best players imo. Hopefully he will be on the Kentucky All Star team for the Indiana games in June.

 

That's great and I think Day is a great player. But he isn't better than Paige.

I don't think it is a question of who is the better player. I think it is a question of who had the better season and I think that you can definitely say that Matt Day had the better season. Look at their stats and look at the season that their teams had. With that said, I do hope that Paige gets an invite to the Ky. All Star tryouts because he is one of the best players in the state and would definitely make the team better.

I don't think it is a question of who is the better player. I think it is a question of who had the better season and I think that you can definitely say that Matt Day had the better season. Look at their stats and look at the season that their teams had. With that said, I do hope that Paige gets an invite to the Ky. All Star tryouts because he is one of the best players in the state and would definitely make the team better.

 

That's fair. Everybody looks at things differently. Do you think Paige is being judged and treated the same based off of your evaluation or because he isn't from Ky? I'm thinking his transfer to Perry County Central and the stories around his transfer hurt him more so than Matt Day being a tremendous player and leader for Buckhorn.

I think you are right, to a degree. Just look at the runner up in the 14th who was Sawyer Denniston, a great player from Wolfe Co., but I don't think he had as good a year as Paige did. I think if you take away all the transfer drama, Day would be the only player in competition with Paige and a valid argument could be made either way. But to say that Paige isn't even the runner up does give the impression of some biased voting. I think that is the direct result of all the transferring and recruiting that goes on in the 14th and I think alot of coaches are fed up with it and this is their way of voicing their dissaproval. I, also, think alot of them know that Piage is going to be invited to the KY all star tryouts anyway.

Coaches are usually asked to vote for Mr. Basketball and All State players based on the best players they have SEEN play. Several players(Wing, Dieudonne, Manning) up for the award played in the state tournament in front of numerous HS coaches and earned or lossed Coaches votes this past week. A big reason Why Hickey passed Behannen last year due to his incredible performance in last years tournament. Where all did Perry Central Play? They lossed in first round of districts that usually hurts you. How was he promoted. If coaches dont see a kid play should they take the word of the Jody Demlings and vote for him. Coaches who have a Mr. Basketball candidate should do every thing possible to schedule games though out the state so that player is exposed to as many coaches as possible. Rowan Co. came to Louisville and played in the KOB for example

^

 

I agree somewhat. However, anyone who watched Rowan County play knows that DJ Townsend was a better player than Wing was this year yet Wing gets the accolades. Perry Central played in the Joe B Hall Classic at Montgomery County. They also played in the Marshall County Hoopfest but I don't think he was eligible for that game. I do think the loss in the first round of districts robbed us of a chance to see him play but I believe the Mr. Basketball finalists were chosen before the Sweet 16 began.

Townsend definitely earned a lot of all state votes while Wing probably lost all chances at Mr. Basketball. Dieudonne played his way to a good chance at Mr. Basketball. I'm just saying that transfers who come in for one year may not get exposed enough to earn votes. I dont think coaches should take the word of so called recruiting gurus.

I agree on Townsend. What I don't like about the Mr. Basketball is that I think, sometimes, it puts too much emphasis on the State tournament. I think that it will hurt, both, Mekale McKay and Matt Day in the voting even though both players had tremendous years and the only negative for both of them is that they didn't play in the state tournament. In terms of being out there to be seen, Buckhorn has played multiple games in the Lexington and Louisville area every season and in the summers, as well and have fared very well, most of the time with Matt playing well at every turn. I hate to see him punished because he chose to stay and try to win it at Buckhorn instead of giving in and transferring to one of the many schools that approached him during his high school career. I think that is one of the reason so many coaches have voted for him because they respect his loyalty to his school.

Coaches in that region resented him being there. Many thought it wasn't above board. Instead of being objective and voting for the most deserving player, they hold a grudge and won't vote for the best player. Coaches say that they can't vote for their own, they have no control over the vote. That's bunch of poo because they lobby for and against players via the "good old boy network". So, to sum up the initial question of the thread, heck yes he's a victim, plain and simple.

Matt Day of Buckhorn was 14th Region KABC POY. Day is also a final 5 contender for Mr. BBall. There was a tie for Coach of the year between John Noble of Buckhorn and Brian Hall of Powell Co.

Oops, looked at the wrong column.

 

I saw Day play at the All A Classic, and while it wasn't one of his best performances, I have a hard time believing he's a better player than Paige. There was a situation in the 90s in Region 1 where a team had an exchange student that was probably the best player in the region, but the coaches didn't even put him on the 10-player all-region team because of ill feelings. I have no doubt that this is the case in this instance.

^Good old boy network. Alive and well.

I think the problem Paige had was not being seen or heard of before this year. He probably is the best player in the state but playing for Perry County in the eastern part of the state plus just playing one year in KY had to hurt him.

I have seen neither player so no clue as to who is better between Day and Paige. A question to consider though is this - Who is the better high school player right now? Not who is the better prospect. Not who has more talent. I don't think it is unusual that a player who is clearly a better college prospect will lose an award to a less talented player who had a great high school season. Team results get factored into that as well.

Surely there's no 'ole boy network or politics involved in Kentucky high school basketball?